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Anterior shoulder dislocation

Case contributed by Mohammad Osama Hussein Yonso
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

C/O left shoulder pain and deformity. H/O pulling rope today morning while working and heard a sound in his left shoulder with the inability to move the joint. H/O recurrent shoulder dislocation before. O/E: deformity and severe pain in the left shoulder, unable to abduct the joint.

Patient Data

Age: 30 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

The image shows the left humeral head displaced from the glenoid and lying inferior to the coracoid process (anterior shoulder dislocation).

x-ray

Post reduction: normal position of the left humerus head with no evidence of a combined fracture.

Case Discussion

The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body and this makes it more likely to dislocate. Although the shoulder joint regains its movement within weeks after correcting the dislocation, it becomes easy to repeat the dislocation again (recurrent shoulder dislocation) & avascular necrosis.

Complications of shoulder dislocation:

  • damage to the muscles, ligaments, and nerves around the shoulder joint may occur as a result of the dislocation
  • shoulder joint instability

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